The Devil Wants You Back
by AFangirlofSorts
Summary: All Robbie could see since the accident were souls. Good and evil, black and white. IT burned within him for their justice and he could only oblige. In SHIELD the nightmares came, waking him up to burnt sheets as IT cried for vengeance. There was one soul, one demonic shadow, that called to IT stronger than the rest. One that lived next to him every night. Phil Coulson.
1. Chapter 1:Devil May Cry

**A/N: Happy New Year to you readers. So to kick off the New Year me and my friend, Uiop12092, have decided to come together and do a collab story for Agents of SHIELD, Ghostrider. Hope you guys enjoy the ride.**

 **Summary: All Robbie could see since the accident were souls. Good and evil, black and white. IT burned within him for their justice and he could only oblige. In SHIELD the nightmares came, waking him up to burnt sheets as IT cried for vengeance. There was one soul, one demonic shadow, that called to IT stronger than the rest. One that lived next to him every night. Phil Coulson.**

* * *

 **Chapter One: Devil May Cry**

 _Monsters are real, ghosts are real too. They live inside us and sometimes… they win._

It was never quiet on these streets. Even in the dead of night, there was always some noise to be heard by those who would listen. Some would hear the gangs and thugs who ruled the streets. Others would hear their victims. No one did anything about it though. If the police couldn't even bothered to get the crime under control, how could the civilians do anything about it?

Robbie used to think that way.

He knew all about the gangs, _Fifth Street_ specifically. The street gangs were the talk of this part of the city. _Everyone_ knew who they were yet no one would dare try to get them arrested out of fear. No one would stand up. That is, until the reports of a man-no a creature- with the head of a skull and flames for hair with a black '69 dodge had come into the picture.

His name to the public was Ghost Rider, but among individuals he was called the Devil, _El Diablo_. At night, he prowled the streets in search of those who had done wrong. If he found you guilty, his fire would burn your very soul. Robbie never paid much attention to what people said about the Ghost Rider though. Most of it was rumor and speculation and he had no intention of telling anyone the truth. This was his secret to hide. His burden to carry.

Robbie glanced at the time on his dashboard, 10:24. For the past hour, he had been driving around the neighborhood in order to do _its_ bidding. Ghost Rider usually came out before ten in the evening, but today the call for vengeance hadn't been strong for him. A sign for an easy night. All that was needed for Ghost Rider to come out was a whiff of guilt. Not for that person to feel guilty, but for them to be guilty. Anyone could be guilty of a crime and not feel remorse for it.

 _I'm not guilty!_

 _I don't deserve to die._

Those were the two most popular phrases It heard whenever he claimed his victims. Some truly believed themselves to be innocent, but It knew better than they did. Robbie released a breath. Perhaps he could go home tonight without having any blood on his clothes. His brother, Gabe, had seen it on his shirt two weeks ago. Robbie knew that he wouldn't be able to hide this from Gabe forever, but he would damn well try.

He felt the pull.

At first he wasn't sure what to make of the feeling. In his mind it felt as though he had a sixth sense, where he knew when someone guilty was nearby. On most nights he did It's bidding, but there have been a few times where their roles were reversed. Sometimes he would call on It to do as he wished and bring vengeance to those who had done him wrong. Robbie pressed his foot on the gas pedal, the sound of screeching tires and the rev of the engine filled his ears. Despite the dark places this car would take him, he loved the sound of his baby when she came alive.

* * *

Four men were killed by Ghost Rider that very night. Robbie watched the light leave their eyes. He felt their blood seep into his clothes yet he felt no remorse for what he, _It,_ had done to them.

 _They got what they deserved_.

That was what he told himself anyway. It made sense in his mind that what he was doing was not wrong, but vengeance. Yet at the same time he knew what he was doing was wrong. Regardless of the reasons. Taking another's life in this way was never the right thing to do.

Robbie stared down at the fifth man. It, the Ghost Rider, remained a voice in Robbie's mind. A phantom who told him what to do and when to do it. If Robbie really wanted to he could fight off Ghost Rider, but most of the time he didn't want to. The dark and twisted part of him enjoyed being the monster that people feared.

"Please," the fifth man begged as he tried to scoot away, "Please don't kill me. I don't deserve to die!"

Ghost Rider stared down at the pleading man with flaming eyes. The man was guilty for his crimes against the innocent. The aura outlined him in deep red with specks of dark green. A survivor. A jealous man. Robbie focused on the third color that stood out in lines, they reminded of him vines wrapped around a tree. Indigo mixed with purple.

Blemishes that were starting to run deep. He deserved to be punished.

The work with gangs such as El Segundo or WD had practically soaked the man in blood. Robbie kept his eyes trained on the man, in his mind he could see inside this man's head. Every horrible deed he had done came to the forefront of his mind. One kill after the other. Every deal and sick trade that resulted in the harm of another played in Robbie's mind.

 _It_ grew angry.

This man had plenty of blood on his hands. It was time he paid with his own blood, now.

 _That's what they all say,_ thought Robbie as he delivered the final blow to the man's head. Done. He turned around to get back into his dodge when he spotted a woman watching a ways from him. While he stood in the middle of the road, she was on the sidewalk with half her body still hidden behind a newspaper stand. It was dark out except for the street lamps behind him and the flames that danced on his head throwing skeletal shadows on the asphalt.

He stared at her. _It_ sensed nothing deserving of punishment. There was blood on her hands, that much Robbie could see on the aura that surrounded her, but it was justified. She wasn't guilty and therefore Ghost Rider turned away. He climbed into the driver's seat of his '69 Dodge Charger.

The woman had stepped out of her spot into the street. Robbie looked at her in the rear view mirror for a moment longer before starting his car and speeding away.

* * *

"I told you not to engage him," reprimanded the voice in her ear.

The younger agent couldn't help but to smirk. She hadn't meant for the Ghost Rider to see her, she only meant to get a closer look at the flaming skull headed man. It just so happened that when she moved out of her hiding spot did he decide to turn her way. Originally she had planned to stop him from killing those men, but the voices in her ear forced her to hold her ground. It seemed no matter what she did, more blood would stain her hands.

 _Death follows you wherever you go_.

She shook her head. She couldn't think like that now. Though her heart began to race as unwanted thoughts began to fill her mind, she kept her voice light.

"Technically," she answered, "I didn't engage him. He just happened to look this way."

She could practically hear her boss roll his eyes at her comment, "Just come back in. A pod will be in the alley behind you."

"Okay Coulson," replied the woman.

For weeks she had been searching for the mysterious Ghost Rider. The monster and black knight who walked through these streets protecting the innocent and killing the guilty. From her research she knew that the Ghost Rider only killed those who had a history with the law or were doing illegal activity and hadn't been caught yet. It was an interesting situation in her mind, not unusual though. For a little while longer, she stayed rooted in her spot staring off in the direction Ghost Rider had gone.

"Daisy," she heard Coulson say into her ear. Even though his voice had been low, she still jumped slightly.

"I'm coming," she said, her eyes still trained on the spot where Ghost Rider had been before abruptly turning away.


	2. Chapter 2: Dancing With The Devil

**A/N:** It's been 2 weeks since AFangirlofSorts and I decided to give this story the greenlight, well...give or take a few days but still! Hope you enjoy my first contribution, and the ride that will follow these next few chapters. Feel free to check my page out and my other stories if you like what you read!

-Uiop12092

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Dancing with the Devil**

 _That's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt._

"Five victims were found dead in the streets at dawn," the anchorwoman read aloud during the morning report, "eyewitnesses describe the bodies as charred, more about the gruesome killings and the suspect locals are referring to as 'Ghost Rider' at 11."

Robbie reached across the hood of the rusting corvette for the remote and turned off the TV. It was surreal, seeing his handiwork plastered over the TV screen. He gritted his teeth and went back to work, cranking up the car an extra foot so he could comfortably slip underneath. It was a shame owners could let nice cars like this one go to a junkyard. He would never let his own slip so far into disrepair.

A jagged edge on the underside caught his finger as he reached upward and he drew it back sharply in pain. A lone drop of blood splattered on his sleeve, adding to the grime of the night before. He'd have to get the suit professionally cleaned before he let Gabe see him in it again. There was a place on a nearby street corner that wouldn't ask too many questions. He'd given too many excuses in the past week alone for the reddish splotches. He only wished he could say they were all his, yet... their owners got what they deserved.

Robbie found himself pressing down on the accelerator. The '69 Charger's engine raced forward and his heart sped up to match. The night sky left the buildings to his sides little more than shadow, the road ahead stretched as far as he could see. He pushed his back into the leather seat, shrugged his shoulders and leaned forward again, slamming back down on the accelerator.

The vintage car's roar screamed past the derelict suburbs, taking him wherever he wanted. He was free. A bridge was coming up, he smiled and laughed as he turned and looked out the window, gazing down at the black crystalline waters reflecting the shiny body of the sports car. Somewhere next to him he heard Gabe laughing too.

 _Gabe can't be here. How is he here?_ _How am I here?_

Robbie only had time to blink before his dream view lurched forward like the car and the nightmare took its place. The roars of other vehicles came suddenly nearby. He looked across Gabe at the faces in the white van, their smirks. A spattering of sharp clangs as automatic rifle fire sunk into the chassis of the car and it was all over in slow motion before his eyes.

The passenger door took the brunt of the damage, but he watched as Gabe's laughter turned to a face of surprise as his legs jerked forward, never to move again. Robbie watched as the momentum of the car came to an abrupt stop on the lamp-lit road, heard the _Locos_ drive away and felt himself flying. He was clutching his chest, his vision was fading, the ground was looming, and he died.

Again he woke, not in his bed, no that would be a mercy. He was surrounded in perfect darkness, when a familiar voice called out, primal and ancient.

' _Where is my vengeance?!'_

 _'I'll find it,' he pleaded back,'I'll uphold my end of the bargain just make this night stop.'_

A fire blossomed inside of him, scorching his very being. He screamed as his face melted away, burning right off of him. He sank to his knees still screaming with the pain and his hands found what resembled the ground and clutched at it tightly to escape from the anguish. A searing pain shot up his arm and Robbie was pulled through, his flaming bones sinking into the darkness.

* * *

Robbie woke up gasping, the blackened covers slipping down as he rubbed his eyes vigorously while sitting upright. The air conditioning circulated uselessly. He felt its breeze on his bared chest, but the temperature had skyrocketed from when he had fallen asleep in the early morning. Robbie's hair was drenched with sweat, which mixed with the ashes of his pajamas to stain his mattress.

He took slow breaths. His lungs felt like they were breathing fire and the memory of the Devil's words rang through him for the fifth day in a row. Instinctively he looked for the bullet wounds, but the dream had left no trace on him beyond the fire. Almost no trace. As he pushed himself out of bed, his arm nearly buckled under the weight. He examined it closely, remembering what had happened.

A new scar had found itself adhered to him. Interlocking oblong octagons trailing from his wrists up to his forearm, the red was fading but the wound was still fresh. The chains that had tried to drag him down to the Hell where It resided. Robbie took several deep breaths, trying to compose himself. He wasn't sure how many more nightmares he could live through, could he even die in a dream? The chains served as a reminder It was taking his toll - both mentally and physically.

He took things slow, taking a shower with the water scorching hot, making plans to pick up his dry cleaning. He'd leave an even bigger tip to the nice old couple for their smart decision to keep their mouths shut. Then it was back to the yard.

He dried off quickly and picked out his clothes for the day, he was almost to the door when Gabe called out, "You aren't going to say goodbye?"

He turned and smiled a smile that struggled not to vanish as he took in his brother waiting impatiently in his wheelchair. His dream replayed itself, replacing the Gabe in front of him with the wounded helpless one so many nights ago.

Gabe stared as Robbie blinked away the ghostly image of blood, "Yeah, yeah, sorry. Didn't think you were awake. Take care, I'll see you soon, okay?"

* * *

There wasn't much that could slip by Agent Mace's rainbow of security. With the myriad of mandatory lie detector tests, unparalleled surveillance, and a morally ambiguous mission statement, there was little that went on in the new SHIELD or outside of it without the Director knowing about it first. They did serve as a spy agency after all. Now though, their efforts were focused on protecting the world from the much weirder world, and Coulson was sure that a serial killer was not in the public's best interests.

A murderous Inhuman, at a time when certain members of the population were scared of the _good_ ones. The victims' contributions, or lack thereof, hardly mattered. Robbie Reyes left their bodies destroyed, as perfect martyrs for the champions of anti-Inhuman sentiment to trumpet, just waiting for national news coverage. Bad press was not what he needed. But he didn't need dead agents either. Daisy had been on the trail for the past 12 hours, he wasn't sure how long he could wait.

Daisy refocused the camera. A brother. Who knew hot-headed skeletons had family? Human too, as far as she could tell. Facial recognition told her his name was Gabriel Reyes, and his medical record noted permanent paralysis, cause: gang violence. Could be a Robbie Reyes's motive for his choices in victims. Daisy pulled back from the darkened window of her van and reflected on her next moves.

Coulson had been clear that the violence had to stop. Justice and order were the only way to lasting peace, not vigilantism. She agreed, and she didn't need the briefing to tell her how quickly it was escalating. She only had to look at the downtrodden concrete walls that had turned into murals commemorating the deaths. Ghost Rider they called him. His signature flaming skull leering over the flowers left in remembrance.

* * *

Darkness fell quickly on Los Angeles, turning the edges of the old scrap metal into dramatic edges, threatening in the flickering light. Robbie cracked his neck, and finished closing up the garage.

"Excuse me," a tentative voice emerged from the main gate.

"Uh, Yard's closing," Robbie answered, looking over his shoulder to find a woman standing behind him.

He faced her completely. The woman could have come any other time in his 8 hour shift. He took her in. She was dressed in street attire, but Robbie felt something was off. Visitors were uncommon at this hour.

Little did Robbie know that was what she was counting on -less chance of innocents being caught in the crossfire. She straightened herself up, pulling at her jacket and giving a stunning smile she hoped came off as friendly. Not sure how she should proceed, but she before she could decide the words came tumbling out and her eyes were locked onto Robbie's expression, searching for recognition. A confirmation this man was who she thought she was.

"I'm Daisy," she started slowly, "I'm looking for a guy with a sweet black '69 charger. Maybe he bought some parts here?"

"Sorry. Doesn't ring a bell. I only work nights once a week," Robbie answered gruffly.

"Oh, well maybe I'll come back in the morning. Thank you." He was lying, she knew it.

Robbie's Charger was one of a kind. And her showing up right at the end of his shift didn't seem like a coincidence. Robbie had to act fast if he wanted to find out what - or who - she was really after.

"There's a book of sales you can flip through in the main office," he paused and shrugged, "Not really an office, more of a trailer. But I can show you."

Robbie gestured for her to take the lead, holding out his arm as they sidestepped the corner of the corrugated metal structure and moved in the narrow pathway between various scrap that hadn't been organized yet.

He probed, "You live around here?"

Daisy looked over her shoulder, "No, I used to. Just in town for a couple days soaking up the sun."

Robbie stopped cold. This area hadn't been known as safe for the past decade. Any local or even an outsider would know there were better places to sun themselves. Whatever her intentions were, they weren't good.

"Strange place to spend your vacation," he coaxed softly.

Daisy's internal threat radar had been working overtime the whole walk. She didn't expect to get this far. She didn't expect Robbie to co-operate, and he probably didn't intend to either. Daisy was trying to figure out whether or not Robbie had figured her out when the jingle of Robbie's keys stopped. So she did as well. Waiting, a showdown had sprouted between them, and Daisy was blind. The keys clashed once behind her as Robbie lunged and she turned to face him again and pushed.

Hard.

Agent Johnson watched as Robbie found himself flying again, falling on his back into the side of an ancient graffiti white van. The situation had just escalated. Reyes's vision turned red and he shook off the blow and grabbed a littered piece of a broken pole. Robbie found its hiss as he coated it in flames comforting, feeling warm as his whole body heated up.

"So, you've got the Devil inside you too," he snarled.

Daisy rolled her wrists, letting her gauntlets hug her closer. Her fingers crawled towards her SHIELD-issued wristwatch and pressed a button on the side twice. Coulson would know she had engaged Reyes and he could decide his response. As for her own response, she took in the Ghost Rider's very humanoid appearance, a surprisingly durable Inhuman looking very angry.

The shadows from his flaming metal bar didn't help his striking appearance against the contrasting background of the junkyard. A light amongst waste. What was that about the Devil? She didn't have time to ponder further. Her training kicked in immediately to defend her against Robbie's flurry of blows. He lunged with the flaming metal, passing so close she feel its heat through her jacket. Daisy knew she had to end this quick.

He cut wide slashing arcs that left the air heated, daring her to step into its embrace. She rose to the challenge and countered solidly, ducking under Robbie's flailing, disarming him with a kick and grappling him, slipping her arm around his neck and using her other hand to ensure he stayed put. Daisy had him where she wanted. Robbie felt a rising pressure on his throat and vibrations pounding his skull and bucked as hard as he could, but the metal gauntlets bit into his throat and for her size the woman was strong.

"You shouldn't have gotten involved," he managed.

"Serial killers always complain when you try to intervene," she snarled back.

"I only kill those who deserve it. It's vengeance _chica._ "

"For what?"

Her professionalism broke, he had blood on his hands and was unapologetic. Those he killed had been defenseless against his abilities. Robbie didn't answer, he headbutted her unsuspecting nose and broke free, cutting short her tirade. Daisy didn't hesitate to spin with the force of the blow and turn it into a devastating kick that put The Rider through an unfinished shed's wall.

She rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand, leaving a red streak and resumed where she left off.

Daisy all but growled at him, "You don't get to decide who lives and who dies!"

"I'm not the one who decides." Robbie picked himself up from the rubble and stared through her.

The moonlight struck him like a spotlight in the small clearing. The man who stood before her transformed into something else entirely, the same hellish flames that had coated the inanimate metal were now spreading across his face, his body. Robbie Reyes hadn't expected there to be someone else with powers like him. Maybe there was more than one the Devil favored, but there might very well be one less by the end of tonight.

The Ghost Rider was all too eager to retaliate against the woman's aggression reaching a skeletal hand to rip away what in better times had been a reinforcing beam. Daisy ducked, projecting the half ton piece away from her, but not fast enough to respond to Robbie charging up in front of her. She reared up trying to block, but Robbie's rage carried him faster. His fist slammed into her gut and she folded and dropped to the dusty ground. The flaming skull glanced back, spotting a supply rack, and pulled it down to finish her.

Daisy had been stunned by the force of the punch. It was all she could do to twist around at the last second and focus on stopping the half ton rack from crushing her. The rack was getting closer and closer as her arms shook from the effort of keeping it away. Her bones couldn't take much more exertion. She had to contort her face to keep concentrating as the light from Ghost Rider's flames appeared in the corners of vision.

 _It was over_.

She had failed once more. Just like she failed to protect Fitz and Simmons. Just like she failed to stop Hive. Just like she had failed to keep Lincoln from staying in that Quinjet.

Just like she had failed to keep him alive.

"Do it, I deserve it." Her voice was hoarse, little more than a whisper.

Robbie stared at her struggling, his flickering flames reflecting off her similarly black clothes and the corroded metal she was suspending away from her. She was a mess of color inside, black, blue, tinges of purple, spots of silver and gold.

He turned away, leaving her. Despite knowing too much about him, her death was for another time.

The Ghost Rider whipped off the sheet covering the '69 Charger. Its sleek black frame shining as he pulled open the door and took his seat. The wheels screeched and the engine bellowed fire as he sped outside of the junkyard. He was in no way merciful. One soul did not define him. There were many more souls whose pleading he had ignored.

That night he would ignore four more.


	3. Chapter 3: The Devil Knows Your Name

**A/N: Yay, chapter update!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: The Devil Knows Your Name**

 _Little secrets grow up to become big lies._

For hours on end Daisy had been sitting here, her fingers flying across the keyboard of her laptop as she read through reports and files. Two nights ago, she had faced Ghostrider. The fight had ended with her fracturing her arms, again, and a new collection of bruises. SHIELD had to come and get her after that. Simmons all but forced Daisy to cooperate with the team of doctors despite the agents protests. In the end, Daisy had been patched up and sent on her way to track the Ghostrider. The confrontation itself had gone differently in her mind. It hadn't been what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't a disappointment in her mind.

Roberto Reyes, the infamous Ghostrider who all but haunted the streets of this part of town and select few other areas. When she first found out about him, she quickly tore through all his personal information in search of anything that could help her get through to him. Ever since the outbreak of Terrigenesis, Daisy had been working non-stop to find as many Inhumans as she could. Whether it was to help them, draw them to her side or to help herself, she was never sure.

An image of a man with dark blonde hair and clear eyes entered the forefront of her mind, followed by a name she could never bring herself to say out loud. Daisy felt her throat tighten and heart begin to ache. Even now, the slightest thoughts of him would hurt her, she knew she would never be able to let him go. Daisy shook the thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to think about the past, she could only focus on the present and hope the future would follow.

Daisy lifted her gaze from the laptop to see the repair shop across the street where Robbie worked. During her search, she learned that he was high school drop much like herself. Though his grades at the time weren't perfect they definitely weren't bad. When Daisy did a little more digging into his file she learned of his younger brother, Gabriel Reyes. She first saw Robbie pick up his brother earlier the other day. It was only the two them. After the Reyes brothers lost their parents, they stayed with their uncle who had taken good care of them up until he murdered a colleague. Then there was also the accident that Daisy had found.

They had been attacked by _Fifth Street_ gangsters, the accident nearly killed Robbie and left Gabriel paralyzed from the waist down. According to the police report and medical files, the Reyes brothers were lucky to be alive. Robbie's words from last night echoes in her mind.

 _I only kill those who deserve it. It's vengeance, chica._

Daisy released a sigh, she leaned back against the tan colored driver's seat. She needed to confront Robbie, Ghostrider, now if she was going to have a chance at speaking to him. He wasn't inside now, but when he did arrive, she would be there waiting.

* * *

It had been a fairly easy day for Robbie at the shop. He had been able to fix two cars without a hitch, but even as he worked his mind remained on the events of two nights ago. The woman he saw when he killed those men who worked with the Watch Dogs had showed up at his garage looking for his car, looking for Ghostrider. She didn't know his name, she didn't know anything about him except for his face. For the first time since he became Ghost Rider, he had left someone alive without taking them for another purpose.

Twice now, he had let her go because _It_ didn't seem to think she deserved any punishment. She hadn't been guilty. That much Robbie could tell from looking at her, but there was also the words she said to him. That memory seemed to haunt him.

 _Do it,_ she had whispered to him, _I deserve it_.

Whenever someone was guilty, they would say _I don't deserve to die._ She had said the opposite which left Robbie baffled and It walked away knowing it wasn't true. She didn't deserve to die yet Robbie knew she wanted death. Last night when she fought him, she fought with an almost desperation to survive, but she still had a death wish. Robbie didn't understand it. She _wants_ to die and fights to _survive_. Robbie shook the woman from his thoughts. If she was smart, she would stay away from him, but Robbie had a feeling that wouldn't be the case with her.

Robbie refocused on his client and handed off the papers for her to bring to the front office. His client nodded with a grateful smile before heading inside. Robbie made a move to follow her, but his eyes landed on the brown van parked outside the gate. Until a week ago, he had never seen that van in this area. But now it seemed that it continued to pop up there. Twice now he had seen it. _Just like the number of times he had seen the woman_ , Robbie thought with narrowed eyes.

He set his clipboard down on the tool rack and grabbed a crowbar. If this stranger wanted another fight, she was going to get one. When he walked around the van to the driver's side, he was surprised to see it empty, but he knew she was here. He could practically feel her presence. He went back inside. A voice filled his ears, the same from last night.

"Oh my God I never even thought of that," he heard her say with a laugh, "you find so much weird stuff in other people's cars. Now I'm racking my brain wondering what was left in mine."

Robbie walked further inside, looking away from the woman and focused on his tool rack. She was here. How much did she know about him? How did she find him? What did she want?

"Oh hey Robbie," his friend called, "why you didn't me about this girl?"

Robbie turned around, his eyes focused on his friend, "What girl?"

The mystery woman smiled and had the nerve to look very smug, "Robbie Reyes… Wow, you look so different since the last time I laid eyes on you. Long time no see."

"Yeah, it's been a minute," Robbie said curtly.

"I was just telling Canelo here how tight we used to be back at Garfield High," she replied, her tone made her sound very comfortable, "The stories I could tell."

Robbie forced himself to smile. If he wanted her gone, he knew he was going to have to play her game. Besides, he couldn't afford to let his anger get the better of him or else It might decide to make an appearance. He couldn't afford to lose control in front of Canelo. There was a lot he couldn't afford.

"What are you doing here," Robbie asked with a strained grin.

"I'm having trouble with my van," she answered fast at first, then slowed down, "yesterday out of nowhere it just burst into flames. I hear you're sort of an expert at that kind of thing so I figured it was time for us to reconnect."

In other words, _I know who you are. And we need to talk._

With her dark eyes trained on him, she sipped at the coffee Canelo had given her. If it weren't for the mug Robbie was certain he would have seen a smirk on her face. The moment that this shop was clear of bystanders and his co-workers, he was going to let loose on her.

"I can take a look," Robbie said flatly.

Her smile was honey sweet, "Great. I'll bring it in."

The mystery woman left to get her van while Robbie set up his station. He would entertain this for now, but he was waiting for an opportunity to get rid of her. Whatever reason she was here, it was definitely not something Robbie wanted to deal with. There was already enough on his plate without having to deal with a stalker. When she pulled up her van and turned it off, he popped the hood to look inside. Even though he knew there was nothing wrong with her car, he had a part to play until Canelo left. For a few minutes, he observed the engine while the woman stood on the side watching him. The feeling of her eyes on him was enough to make him very uncomfortable.

"It seems fine to me," Robbie said.

 _Go away and never come back._

The woman scoffed, "The engine caught on fire. How is that not a dangerous problem?"

 _You're dangerous and need to be handled._

Robbie moved around her to the passenger side, "Maybe you should leave it alone."

 _You are in over your head with this. Leave._

As afterthought he said, "So you don't get hurt… or smoked."

 _If you stay, I will hurt you_.

Robbie knew she was getting his hidden meanings the way he was getting hers. Two conversations melded together, hidden out of sight. At first glance it seemed harmless, maybe a little tense but otherwise nothing to pay attention to. To the two of them it was much deeper than either of them liked it to be. The woman clicked her tongue as Robbie climbed over to the driver's seat. She leaned against the open door with her arms folded over her chest.

In a low voice she said, "You claim your victims earned that. Hard to verify all of them."

Robbie exhaled as he worked on the car, "Somehow you tracked me down."

"Just to talk," she said, "I figured you're either on the right side of things or-"

"Or what," Robbie interrupted, "or else? You're out of your mind coming here… You may know who I am, but you don't know me or what I'm capable of."

The woman tilted her head back and laughed, "It's funny you should mention that. I was just thinking about how many memories I have of you Reyes. Got this too cool for school vibe going on for you now, but the real you…"

"He wasn't always the strong silent type," Canelo asked wiping his hands.

"Well I've known him since… Crandle elementary," she said, her eyes flickered with mischief, "He was always quiet, like he was hiding something."

The woman paused to laugh, but Robbie knew it was fake. How she knew his high school and elementary school was beyond him. He figured those records would private. However he would focus on that another time. He was done with going in circles. Whatever game she was playing, it was one Robbie did not want to be in any longer. The more she spoke, the more she aggravated him.

"The two of us used to hit up the Moonbreaker Arcade in Little Tokyo, isn't that right Robbie," when he didn't answer, she went on, "Yes it is. I've seen a side to him that most people haven't… We used to hang there everyday 'til your uncle would pick you up. How's he doing these days?"

Robbie had moved closer to her during her little spiel. He now sat in the passenger seat and leaned closer to her.

He whispered darkly, "You get lost… or I'll get angry. So angry I might not remember what I do to you. Sometimes I prefer it that way."

She tilted her head to Canelo and the others, "In front of them?"

Robbie narrowed his eyes at her and moved away, "It's just a loose hose. You're all good."

Robbie started the engine. Now she could leave. The woman lifted her arm and let her hand hover above the floor mat for second. A strange sound filled his ears before the engine killed. He had no idea what she could do, but he knew whatever she had was something that could affect anything around her.

 _Looks like you've got the Devil inside you too._

"Oh no," she frowned, "look at that… Looks like we'll be here a little longer."

 _You can't get rid of me yet._


	4. Chapter 4: The Devil You Know

**A/N: Hey readers! AFangirlofSorts here. Sorry for the long wait, I had been on my HIATUS from FF and my irl boyfriend Uiop12092 hadn't finished editing his piece so well la, that is why this update is so very late. Luckily the next few chapters are already written so updates should run smoothly for the time being. This lovely chapter was written by my partner in crime Uiop12092. He should be writing this author's note, but he's lame. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter, hit that follow, favorite or review button!**

 **And shameless shoutout to Uiop12092, feel free to check out his other works. Worth the read, I promise ;D**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: The Devil You Know**

 _If you keep knocking on the Devil's door, sooner or later he'll invite you in._

Fifty-thousand feet.

Otherwise known as Zephyr One's cruising altitude. From that height, there was little to be seen beneath them beyond the occasional commercial airliner cutting through the blanket of clouds or the faint yet distinct glows after nightfall of millions of bulbs vigilantly lighting the cities below. Seen by eyesight that is.

Zephyr's flight plan didn't take it near the jetstream just for bragging rights. From that altitude the craft could serve truly serve its purpose as a mobile command unit, ensuring its scanners could cover the most area of the ground underneath and allow SHIELD officers to make the more informed decisions. It also meant that they were undisturbed, quite literally off the radar of most civilian and military sensors, leaving Zephyr One's channels crystal clear from interference.

So when Agent Johnson claimed her connection was mostly static and couldn't hear anything, but yelled through Coulson's earpiece that she was going to talk to Robbie at his workplace again, he took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and accepted his best agent was ignoring orders.

Again.

* * *

Daisy had called in after her second confrontation had gone sour. Coulson's disappointment over her failed gamble had quickly replaced itself with concern as he took in her appearance on the flat screen in front of him. She was in some rundown hotel room, holding the phone's camera above her at an angle, almost, but not quite masking the pain her subtle shifts in posture were giving away.

"Hey Coulson," she had started, "checking in. Things took an interesting turn."

"You say that as if we didn't know that from tracking your heartbeat 24/7," Simmons admonished.

"The call for help was a nice change of pace," Coulson remarked.

The junkyard showdown had been over too quickly for SHIELD assets to arrive to assist in the fight, but at least Zephyr One had received the exact co-ordinates to focus its cameras on and the walk-in clinic Daisy had stumbled into for bandages had mysteriously possessed her exact drug regimen. Without it, she risked de-commissioning herself as a field agent every time she used her powers-the intense strain could very well shatter her bones.

"Funny," said Daisy dryly, "All good on my end. Will check in again when I have something new."

Neither Coulson or Simmons got the chance to say anything else before her screen went dark.

* * *

 _She still could damage herself_ , Coulson grimly noted, as he watched her blinking tracker appear on the same property where the mysterious Ghost Rider had dispatched her with little effort. Coulson looked back at the curly haired tech, who owned both a sweater vest and a serious expression, his arms were crossed as he gazed intently at his tablet.

"Any luck from analyzing the footage," Coulson asked Fitz.

"Daisy already had his face so we didn't learn anything new about Mr. Reyes himself from our databases, but Simmons did offer a few opinions on his powers. Um, his tactic of coating an object in flames, not new. Mr. James, codename Hellfire, is known to do it quite often," Fitz answered without looking up, playing Robbie's transformation over and over again.

"Go on," prompted Coulson.

Coulson would have been hard pressed to name another job that could continue to surprise him beyond death, but SHIELD did so on a weekly, sometimes daily basis after the Battle of Manhattan.

"Also, his durability when Daisy has him in a headlock and launched him. We're not quite sure where he's getting the extra strength from, or at least how or if it's related to his flame powers. Multiple unrelated powers are rare, last one we saw was Lash," Fitz continued, his eyes still glued to the screen.

Coulson guessed, "Who also had a transformation, for a time at least."

"That's right. Mr. Reyes believes his...episodes...are the work of the Devil, and to the citizens of L.A. there might not be a difference between the two once and if he fully converts," Fitz finally looked up.

Coulson grimaced, "We have to limit the threat he poses before it's too late."

He looked over Fitz's shoulder at the figure approaching from the cockpit.

"May, lead a tactical team on the rooftops and clear a perimeter around the yard. We need a confrontation to work this time."

* * *

"Oh no," Daisy mock frowned looking at her car, "look at that… Looks like we'll be here a little longer."

"Look," the heavy adjustable wrench came undone off his toolbelt, "I. Don't. Want. Trouble."

Daisy smiled sweetly, "Good neither do I.."

Was it worth it? Could he look Gabe in the eyes and say he'd gotten fired again? No, but it would certainly feel good burning the woman in front of him with a different kind of fire.

"..And neither does Gabe I'm sure," she continued giving him a shiver that ran down his spine.

That did it.

"I could have killed you once and I'll kill you again," Robbie backed up from the van, giving himself space.

Canelo was in his office behind a locked door now, out of sight and most likely wouldn't hear anything. Daisy shrugged her shoulders, letting her jacket fall open, revealing both the barest hint of midriff and enough firepower to make any nation's special forces jealous.

"Think bullets will stop me after your own touch of the Devil failed you," Robbie taunted, eyes glowing.

Daisy fingers twitched, almost imperceptibly. If she closed her eyes she could see the skeletal figure in place of Robbie, feel his fist slam into her chest again, think her bones would implode from the effort of keeping her alive again. It gave her the resolve to continue.

"Probably not, but they'll stop your brother," Daisy spat, and she didn't stick around to see the fireworks.

She could feel the heat on the back of her neck as she boosted herself to the roof of first her car, then across the junkyard.

 _Like skipping stones,_ she thought, _or hopscotch._

Hop, hop, hop, push push push.

Except missing her landing or angling her wrist wrong would probably result in her being impaled on a rusty car antenna. At least she wouldn't live long enough to worry about tetanus.

Power flowed through her mind, moving like impossibly tiny ping pong balls bouncing incredibly fast through her bones, slamming against them, looking for a way out. The ground was a blur, outcroppings presented themselves for fractions of seconds.

Daisy's head was bent down watching her shadow fly towards the exit, not daring to look back. Rest assured, she didn't need to. The tell-tale roar of the '69 Dodge Charger told her everything she needed to know. Every landing was a reminder she needed to get out of here fast as the jolts her bones were feeling grew stronger. She slipped on a back windshield as she winced and her next jump came at a sharper angle.

One day she might be able to fly, but for now, she'd stick with the hopscotch. Three more jumps and the wrought-iron gate was coming up, flanked on both sides by cracking but sturdy concrete supports. She gave a final push, thrusting herself forwards and to the ground, shoulder first, rolling to her feet. Her spine protested its brief contact with the ground as she frantically smashed the gate with the gauntlet of one hand, as the other reached into her jacket for the nitroamine grenade, courtesy of the Watchdogs. It would stick to the car, fighting fire with fire, hopefully forcing Robbie to waste some energy concentrating on controlling it.

She activated and threw it one-handed behind her near her feet and grimaced as the gate flew open from her swing, metal clanging on metal. A dull ache started shooting through her, the force of the door rubbing salt in her wounds, not helped by the gauntlet's intended design of directing vibrations. She continued on, squeezing through and breaking into a run, she was reaching for breath and half limping down the street when a familiar voice reached her ears.

"When you're done playing the hero head up another block and take a left."

"May? You weren't kidding about the tracker, huh?"

"Just run, Johnson."

An unearthly screech issued behind her, followed by a large boom. The few blissful silence must have been the car going airborne for a few precious seconds from the improvised landmine. Daisy allowed herself a ghost of a smile.

She was running in broad daylight on the empty street, hugging the sidewalk, rounding the corner like a bat out of hell. A gleaming white containment module was descending looking like all the vacation days she'd never get to spend as the Devil's black sports car swerved and smacked her across the street.

* * *

"That's our cue. MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"

May raised her fist, then swung her fist towards the flaming figure exiting the vehicle. She dropped back to the prone position, swapping her binoculars for a bolt-action sniper rifle. Going for the heart wouldn't matter for a skeleton. She was going to go for the load bearing joints.

At the corners of her scope she could see two of her trainees rappelling down from the fourth floor of the brick building, assault rifles in hand, unloading on the Ghost Rider's black leather jacket. He turned to look at them and May saw her chance. The first shot broke his posture, the second downed Mr. Reyes as the nanomites in the bullet ate away at his tendons.

Daisy was picking herself up, moving in for the kill. Robbie had time to look at Daisy's face, wet with pain as she outstretched her palms and flung him towards the open pod. Her body felt like Robbie had burnt her after all, needles going through every part of her skin.

May watched as she collapsed on the empty street and the Containment module ascended.


	5. Chapter 5: Speak Of The Devil

**A/N: Yay, chapter update!**

 **Chapter Five: Speak of the Devil**

 _The past cannot be changed, forgotten, edited or erased. It can only be accepted._

The pain from the where the bullets had entered his body had faded from intense to a dull ache by the time the moving box he was in shuddered to a stop. The walls were stark white with hexagon indents all around. There was a window that had allowed him to see the ground, or really the entire city below, before it was blocked from his view. The next thing to come into his sight through the rectangular window was what he assumed would be the back of a plane. The box jolted causing him to lose his balance on his now sore knees where the bullets had hit him.

Off handedly he wondered how he would explain to Gabe the holes. Robbie shook his brother from his mind. Now wasn't the time to think of cover stories when he was trapped in some kind of container with no way out in the hands of people he didn't know. If he wouldn't have been so focused on trying to go after that woman. If he wouldn't have let her get under his skin, he never would have been caught. The Rider had disappeared from him which he found odd. IT didn't like to be contained in any way shape or form.

Robbie had assumed that once this tin can had stopped moving IT would come out full swing, yet it was silent. This could mean one of two things. Either the bullets that he had been attacked with were hindering IT or IT had a purpose to be here. Perhaps there was a soul on this plane that needed to be brought to justice. Robbie wouldn't put it past them. He had a feeling that whatever work the woman, who called herself Daisy, was in would definitely have people with dirty hands. IT wasn't doing anything at the moment which meant there was no immediate threat.

Sometimes the Ghost Rider reminded Robbie of a wild animal. He remembered Gabe had been telling him how animals didn't really get scared the way humans would. It was only when an animal could sense danger that they would react. Robbie honestly didn't remember the science behind it and he really didn't care about it either. Except Gabe had been really interested in it so Robbie pretended to listen with interest as his brother droned on. Robbie took a seat on the little white bed, his body felt heavy like lead as he laid down. Black dots swarmed the corners of his vision. Before the darkness could take him his eyes spotted the little vent in the corner that was releasing white smoke.

* * *

Daisy jolted awake, her mind reeling and her entire body aching. There wasn't a rush of memories that came to her, she remembered exactly what happened and had a fairly good idea as to where she was. Her talk with Robbie had given the expected results. She was able to get him out of the garage and into SHIELD custody which she saw as a small victory and would have taken a bit of pride in her work if it weren't for her still spinning mind and sore body.

Gathering her bearings she recognized that she wasn't in the containment room, rather one of the sleeping quarters. It was small, but it had enough room for a full bed, night table, dresser and TV along with a little bathroom. Daisy sat up groggily, wincing as she did so.

A bit hesitant she placed her sock covered feet onto the stone floor. Instantly she knew she was on the Zephyr as the gentle buzzing beneath her feet traveled through her body. Almost like shivers, but not a pleasant or unnerving feeling. She needed to get moving before her thoughts went deeper than the shallow ends. She stood a bit shakily. It felt as if at any moment the floor was going to give away underneath Daisy, especially as she walked the length of roughly twelve feet to the bathroom.

Daisy entered the little bathroom and was greeted by her ragged appearance. Her nearly black hair was a tangled mess. Daisy ran her fingers through her knotted hair as she took in the rest of her features, namely the purple bruise on her right temple and the blood on her bottom lip. With her tongue she probed the inside of her mouth to feel a little bump inside, busted lip she figured. If it weren't for the tight feeling of the shirt brushing against her stomach, she wouldn't have been able to tell there was blood on the shirt. The only thing she did notice was the little tears in the shirt that showed her tanned stomach. Not much, only little slits.

The agent took a shaky breath before turning on the faucet. The cool water filled her cupped hands. Once it was enough she threw it on her face, the burst of coldness sent quick shivers throughout her body. It certainly did the trick to pull her from her sluggish state. Though when she lowered her arms again she couldn't fight the grimace at the sight of them. Her forearms were decorated in various shades of indigo, purple and deep blue. No doubt in her mind that more fractures had formed which meant she would need to get more pills from Simmons. If it weren't that wonder drug Daisy knew she would hardly be able to use her powers or else get herself killed. Though when told this she hadn't reacted, her teammates had pushed for her to either use the pills or stay out of the field. Like she would ever stay out of the field. Being in the field was the only thing that made her feel alive anymore. It was the only thing that would keep her thoughts occupied long enough.

A pulse of panic went through her as she began to wonder how much time had passed and if the Ghost Rider was still contained. Daisy moved out of the bathroom, her knees buckles under the sudden weight forcing her to reach out and press her hands against the wall. Briefly she wondered if being hit by the car had broken any bones in her body, though she was certain that she was only bruised.

Daisy walked forward, one hand still on the wall as she tried to get used to putting her weight on her legs again. In the corner of her eyes she noticed the wheelchair that Simmons no doubt left for her in case she couldn't walk. The agent rolled her eyes. It was a nice try on the scientist's part, but Daisy would not use the help. She could walk fine. Daisy slipped on her tennis shoes when she reached the door. She pulled at the handle only to find that it wouldn't turn, no matter how much force she put into it. She was about ready to use her abilities to get it to open, but was stopped by the sound of Coulson's voice.

"Sorry about that," Coulson said, "But I had feeling you wouldn't rest if you could leave the room."

Daisy lifted her head to look at Coulson's face on the monitor beside the door.

"Coulson let me out," Daisy hissed, the backtracked, "Please. I'm fine, nothing feels broken."

Coulson gave her a look, "Nothing _feels_ broken."

Daisy scoffed, "You get my point. You can open the door."

Coulson puffed his cheeks, then shook his head, "Afraid not."

Daisy glared at him, "And why not?" "You won't rest otherwise," Coulson stated.

Daisy forced herself not to snap at him. Even though she knew he wanted to make sure she was okay, she didn't want him or anyone else to be worried about her. She could take care of herself. Though nobody else seemed to think so.

Daisy swallowed her irritation, "I'm fine. Is Reyes still in the module and how long have I been out?"

Coulson answered her, "Mr Reyes is still in the module asleep. It's been about an hour since we brought you both in."

"I've had an hour of rest then, that's all I need," Daisy insisted, "Now would you please open the damn door. I brought him in so he's technically my prisoner and if Ghost Rider is an inhuman then he falls under my jurisdiction and crap."

Coulson released a heavy sigh, "Daisy, you need to heal."

"I'll heal later," Daisy hissed, "Either you open the door or I will."

Coulson looked torn between wanting to continue the argument and letting her out. It had taken a few moments, but he did unlock her door.

"Thank you," Daisy said as she pulled the door open. She found Coulson standing outside, a frown still etched onto his face.

"I'll walk you to Reyes," Coulson said.

His tone and expression left no room for argument. Besides, Daisy was no longer in the mood. Daisy nodded mutely as she followed Coulson into the main area of the Zephyr. Her eyes flickered over to the spot where she felt her heart shatter into millions of pieces. The memory had been become foggy over the past few months, but the pain she felt was as clear as ever. Daisy forced herself to remain calm as she looked away from the chair and communications line. It was over. What happened was terrible, but mulling over it wouldn't change it.

"Have the scans showed anything about his abilities," Daisy asked.

Coulson shook his head no response, "Nothing. If it weren't for the what agents had told us or the video footage we received, I would think he was just a normal man."

Daisy wanted to know if Simmons had run any tests on him, but she figured the answer was probably no. There was no telling what he was actually capable of. Even with Daisy's confrontations with him, there was no way to know exactly how much damage he could do while on this plane.

"Has Simmons run any tests on him," Daisy asked.

Coulson answered her, "Not yet. We had opened the module so Simmons could draw some blood, but when she touched his arm, he burned her."

Daisy's eyebrows rose at that, "He burned her? When she touched him, did he catch on fire?"

"Not at all," Coulson told her, "His skin was just incredibly hot. He broke the thermometer and the sheets are burned. They didn't catch fire."

"Huh," was Daisy's only reply.

"Yeah. My hope is if once he wakes up he'll cool off and we can get him to cooperate we'll be able to get some DNA," Coulson continued. When Daisy didn't say anything, Coulson spoke again, "He'll most likely wake up within the half hour. This gives you time to think about what you're going to say to him."

Daisy looked at him incredulously, "You think that's a good idea? I was the one who lead him here."

Coulson acknowledge that, "Perhaps, but I have a feeling he would be slightly more receptive to see a familiar face. Even if that face brought him here. Not to mention if he is Inhuman like he think, then it falls under your jurisdiction."

Daisy frowned at that. Ever since the incident half a year ago, Daisy had been trying to pull away from the Inhumans work. Her Secret Warriors project had fallen apart as quickly as it had been made. Despite Coulson's efforts Daisy refused to restart the project, even though they still had Elena come in to help them do a few jobs. Coulson studied Daisy's reaction his words very carefully. The only indication that she was upset by his words was the incredibly slight frown on her face and sorrowful look in her eyes. Those same eyes used to hold so much light and joy in them. It hurt Coulson to see how much of that light had truly been put away.

He wondered what would have happened if he had never traced her through the Rising Tide. Even though he didn't regret bringing her here, he sometimes wondered if it had been mistake. If it hadn't been for him she probably would have continued on with her hacktivism and been in relative peace. Would she have been better off? Would she have been spared all the pain that SHIELD had brought her?

Coulson shook the thoughts from his mind. There wasn't any time now to be concerned with the what if's. Regardless of everything Coulson was glad that Daisy was here and had been here for the past few years. He didn't care how selfish it was. Daisy walked away before another word could be said. Coulson watched her go.

* * *

Fitz stood with Simmons around a white glowing table in the little tech room. There were three areas on this plan that held computers meant to aid missions, this little room, the main area on the top part of the Zephyr and one in the lower levels of the plane that Daisy often disappeared to. The two scientists wouldn't be able to learn anything new about Robbie or Ghost Rider until they could get a sample of blood or hair or something.

Fitz was replaying the footage from the fight earlier, how the transformed into something else entirely. So far the only thing they could gauge about him was the fact that he coat any object in hand with flames along with superhuman strength and durability. Other than that, there really was nothing for Simmons nor Fitz to go off of. Simmons looked away from the screen in front of her at the tips of her fingers. Four of her five fingers were bright red, the pain wasn't terrible which Simmons saw as a good sign. Mainly the slight pain was more bothersome than anything else. Luckily she had pulled her fingers away before the burn could penetrate the first layer of skin. It oddly reminded her of when she touched the stove as a little girl not realizing it was on at the time.

Fitz glanced at her, "How are your fingers?"

Simmons looked at him as she answered, "Oh they're alright. I imagine they'll be healed by the end of the week."

"That's true since the heat didn't get through the epidermis," Fitz commented as he turned his attention back to the screen.

"What do you make of him," Simmons asked, even though she already knew.

Fitz answered her just the same, "I'm not exactly sure. We've only seen transformations like this once. If Mr Reyes turns out to be another Inhuman than-"

"We could have another Lash on our hands," Simmons finished.

Fitz turned to look at Simmons again. His eyes glazed over as he watched her look at the screen with her brow furrowed slightly. He could remember all the times that they used to finish each other's sentences. How that had been as common to them as blinking was. Yet as time went on, they didn't need each other to finish the other's words. Fitz returned his attention back to the screen.

"I wonder if Daisy's awake yet," Simmons said a bit thoughtful, "She's taken quite the beatings these past few days."

Fitz nodded in agreement, "No kidding. Not to mention she was hit by a car today. I'm amazed the only bones she ever breaks are in her arms."

"That's because she overuses her ability," Simmons pointed out.

Fitz shrugged, "Still. I'm not sure if it's impressive or scary."

Simmons couldn't argue with that, "A bit of both I suppose…. She worries me. She goes out there and each time I worry how much damage she'll return with."

"I've been working on new gauntlets for her to use," Fitz added, hoping it might ease his partner's worry.

Simmons sighed, "She wouldn't constantly need upgraded gauntlets or those bone healing pills if she would let herself heal before overusing her powers again."

Fitz knew where Simmons was coming from, but he could also understand where Daisy was coming from. After what happened, or really after everything that has happened to her from her parents to Hive, Fitz wasn't surprised by the overuse of her powers. It was probably one of the only things she felt like she had control over anymore.

"She's still hurting from everything," Fitz said softly, "Perhaps using her powers in such extreme ways gives her a sense of control."

Simmons looked like she wanted to argue, but after two quick glances away from him she said, "I don't know if his skin will cool down if he's awake. If anything I imagine it would be much hotter."

Fitz frowned at her, but the sound of the door opening behind him made him realize why she had changed subjects so abruptly. She must have spotted Daisy coming this way.

"If you say so," Fitz replied before Daisy came into his periphery.

"Hello Daisy," Simmons greeted with a smile.

Daisy let a small smile grow, "Hey Simmons. Fitz."

Fitz turned to look at Daisy, "Hey-o. You have a nice nap?"

The agent rolled her eyes, "Very funny. And before you ask, yes I'm fine."

Simmons scoffed, "That explains the slight limp you had coming in. Not to mention the way you keep shift in order to get more comfortable standings."

Daisy exhaled, "I haven't been in here for a minute and already the warden has come out."

"It only takes me five seconds to see how injured you are," Simmons informed her friend, "I'm not sure if you're a worse patient now or before."

Daisy fought not to smile, "I'm probably worse now."

Fitz chuckled lightly, "You could say that again. You should be in bed. After all you did get hit by a moving vehicle today."

"Had worse," Daisy said with a shrug.

Both scientists saw her wince at the movement despite her efforts to hide it.

"Coulson told me what happened with Robbie earlier," Daisy went on, "I'm headed down there now to speak with him."

"Are you sure that's a good idea," Fitz asked folding his arms over his chest.

Simmons added, "Even if he is contained, there's no telling if he would actually be strong enough to get out of the module."

"I can handle myself," Daisy said, the defensiveness didn't go unnoticed by Fitzsimmons.

Simmons replied, her tone a bit clipped, "You are still recovering from your first fight with him not to mention you were hit by a car and you overused your powers- don't give me that look you know it's true."

Daisy forced herself to swallow her anger. She wasn't helpless and could very well take care of herself. Why did no one else see that? This job could get anyone hurt or killed yet it always seemed to be poor Daisy who was getting in trouble. Daisy was tired of it. She was tired of everyone looking at her as though she were a china doll that would shatter at any moment.

"I'm fine," Daisy stated, "If anything does go wrong the module will knock him out. If not, then I will."

"That's not the point," Simmons sighed with a small shake of her head.

"Then what is it," Daisy questioned sharply, folding her arms over her chest.

Simmons asked in an equally sharp tone, "Would you actually listen if I told you? _No_ , you wouldn't."

"Okay," Fitz interjected before this could escalate further, "Daisy, we're your friends and we want to help you. It's incredibly hard to do that if you keep shutting us out. Jemma, you need to understand that not everyone wants to be helped. Sometimes you have to wait until they're ready."

Neither Simmons nor Daisy said anything after Fitz finished. Instead, Daisy left to go speak with Robbie while Simmons walked out in the opposite direction. Fitz released a heavy sigh. It was times like this he really missed the days when it was three of them against everything with May and Coulson and even Ward behind them. How had everything turned so crazy? What had happened to movie nights on the BUS? The laughs they shared in the common room at the Playground? The fun stories they used to tell?

Fitz brought his hand over his face. He returned his focus back to the screen. He typed a few keys causing the image to change. It was a live recording of Robbie still asleep in the little module that was now inside the main one. He watched as Daisy entered the room a few minutes later. Fitz hit record when Robbie stirred.


	6. Chapter 6: And He Shall Appear

**Chapter 6: ...And He Shall Appear**

 _Be careful what you wish for…_

Daisy shrugged off the latest abuse she'd put her body through. She was leaning against the stark white hexagonal panels of the containment module, staring at the slowly-stirring Robbie.

What was harder to shake was the look of concern in her friends' eyes. They were right, unfortunately. But when it came between sitting out and shaking the figurative and perhaps literal Hell out of a mass murderer, one choice made her feel useless and the other saved lives.

She glanced up at the camera in the corner, then steeled her gaze and planted her feet firmly, picking herself off the wall. FitzSimmons would be watching, no doubt. Coulson too. Any sign of weakness she showed would be used as reasons to bench her. As the only one who could stand a chance against the man in front of her, she couldn't let that happen.

 _It's fine_ , a tiny voice told her. _He's captured now. Your legs and back are in pain. Listen, and go to bed._

"You just going to stare?" Robbie asked.

"I want to know how and why you've killed almost two dozen people." Daisy retorted.

"You people have enough firepower on this plane to level a city. Don't you think a morality lecture is a bit hypocritical?" Robbie's voice was groggy, but jagged.

"When we have to kill-"

"They deserve it, just like every one of my victims." he finished firmly.

"There's a process," Daisy exclaimed, "we don't shoot unless shot at, and go after imminent threats to the public like yourself!"

"Is my nephew an imminent threat?" Robbie's eyes were red. The room was charged. Was it getting hotter too? Daisy took a deep breath. Things were getting out of control.

"I'll be asking the questions, Mr. Reyes. Again, I'd like to know how and why you've been...active."

"You're asking the wrong person miss, it's the Devil you're after." Robbie's intensity didn't drop a bit.

"Well the Devil's not who we've got shackled in a containment cell, why don't you fill us in while we wait for him to show up." Daisy quipped.

Robbie spat. "No need to wait, he's been preparing for his visit to your crew for a while now."

The temperature had definitely been rising. Daisy looked up at the camera again. Outside Fitz was scrambling to take in environmental data readings and turn the internal climate control to its maximum output.

Mack had stopped his ever-constant mechanical repairs and appeared with a fire extinguisher, ready to activate the aircraft-wide fire suppression system. No one had broken out of a containment cell before, and yet Simmons was wiping sweat off her brow. Robbie was standing now.

"Stay down," Daisy outstretched her palm, "final warning."

Robbie was enraged, though Daisy thought she could make out a smirk.

"That's cute, but I'm willing to bet these panels affect you more than Him."

His cuffs glowed bright orange before dropping resoundingly to the floor. Daisy pushed outwards, but true to Robbie's guess her power didn't rush through her bones. The effort strained her regardless. Robbie was really smirking now, as he strolled to the door of the containment module and traced a finger along the edge. The awful smell of synthetic material burning filled the small space. The door was sealed.

Outside the window, Daisy could see Fitz's hands flying over the control panel trying to dissipate the smoke. Mack had the fire extinguisher half-raised, perhaps preparing to ram the door open. She glared over Robbie's shoulder, hoping her expression would be taken as a sign to hold off on a rescue.

"How about you take a seat Daisy?" Robbie offered.

Daisy obliged him, she couldn't risk taking on a powered up assailant without her own powers. Her body thanked her for the rest as she sank into a crisp white chair that matched the walls. Or previously did, at least. The room was starting to take on a decidedly grey hue, as the now sealed door remained smoldering, with the walls closest darkening to an almost black.

"You know I could walk out of here and kill every one of your friends. You too, right now." Robbie threatened.

"You said earlier you had the same morality we do. The fact that you haven't killed me yet, here or back in the junkyard means you think I don't deserve it." Daisy pressed, "What are you hoping to achieve then?"

"You can't hold me. You can't stop me. I think it's best you leave me and my family alone." Robbie growled.

His hair was smoking. Outside the door's glass rang with the hits of the fire extinguisher. Simmons was passing out gas masks. Daisy's breathing was starting to become difficult. She coughed. The intercom system chimed.

"Mr. Reyes, your concerns are noted. You'll find Gabe at home, right where he was. We're landing the plane at the closest airfield." Coulson's voice, steady as ever came through. Robbie looked around, finally noticing the camera.

"I want to see a container of whatever you shot me with on the street. And land at LAX airport, night will be falling fast and I've got work to do." He demanded. Simmons hesitantly retrieved and placed the nanites gently at the base of the door. Daisy looked past Reyes into Simmons's terrified face.

"You're right, we really can't contain you…" Daisy muttered out loud. Robbie stopped his up-close examination of the wall.

"Believe me, I'm chained enough. Just not by you." He said, with a hint of bitterness.

His arms were flickering between live flesh and bone. He drew one back and in one fluid motion punched through the wall facing the landing ramp. The smoke that had been deterring Daisy from fighting even if she had been ready disappeared almost immediately.

He casually walked outside, taking his time, taking in the SHIELD agents centering their rifles on him. He outstretched his hand and the container of nanites erupted in flame. In seconds they turned to ash, and shortly after the rifles were pointing at the ground.

Daisy stumbled out after him, turning her back and accepting Mack's helping hands guiding her towards Simmon's outstretched arms by a fresh clinic bed. She was soaked in sweat, from both the heat and the effort of trying to summon the energy to knock Robbie through and out of the plane. She blacked out.

Mack heaved Daisy over to Simmons and another waiting medical technician. They took her urgently, their eyes darting between the body in their arms and the displays showing her vitals from inside the containment module. Fitz appeared at Mack's side and pushed his shotgun-axe into his hands.

Mack felt the craftsmanship and felt a sense of satisfaction. Practical and simple. Robbie turned suddenly and stared straight at him. Mack's grip on the weapon tightened. Around him, Fitz raised an ICER while the SHIELD agents raised their weapons again, hesitantly this time, but ready all the same.

 _An elegant choice of weapon to bring death_ , a voice spoke in Mack's mind.

Mack cocked his head. How?

Robbie smirked, "The Devil finds you interesting. Think he has a thing for car guys?" He gestured to the rag in Mack's pocket.

Mack shook his head, "I only have room in my life for one divine entity." He said, hand resisting the urge to climb to his crucifix.

"I don't think weapons are necessary here," Coulson's voice rang out as he walked in, "Mr. Reyes will be dropped off like he requested, and we'll pick up May and her team while we're in Los Angeles." He took in the standoff, the torn apart and smoldering containment module. "Dismissed, agents. Mr. Reyes, why don't you join Mack and I in my office while we wait to land?"

* * *

May looked down the street towards the horizon. From five stories up, the setting sun reflecting off the buildings and clouds presented a peaceful picture. This part of the city wasn't known for matching the view, come nightfall. Well, blood did match the intense sunset, she mused.

Coulson had asked her to stay behind in Los Angeles after extracting Robbie, sending only any wounded back to the Zephyr. Robbie was a murderer no doubt, but his presence had indeed kept the crime rate at a record low.

With their mission becoming far more visible than May would otherwise have liked, there was no telling who saw what had happened, and made the connection that the Ghost Rider wouldn't be patrolling the streets that night. May and her strike team were in place to help quell any potential resurgence in crime.

Coulson had already explained their presence to the local Police force, and convinced them to not bother patrolling May's section of the city. Crime scene tape covered the entire area. The streets were to be clear, any intruders were safe for May to engage at her discretion.

As far as the police were concerned after a meeting with Mack, Fitz, and Coulson, the surge in disfigured criminal bodies was due to a shipment faulty and backfiring weapons, and the sound of explosions in the Junkyard were simply an exaggeration of the car crusher having a particularly productive day.

SHIELD was there on behalf of the federal government and ATF to locate and destroy the faulty (and illegal) firearms. May rolled her eyes. There was less BS as a combat agent. And speaking of BS, she couldn't forget Coulson looking into her eyes with full seriousness, warning her to be on guard for "supernatural threats."

Ghost Rider was a fancy inhuman, nothing more, he got shoved into the containment module like any other misbehaving, criminal, powered individual. The Devil, if there was one, wouldn't have been incapacitated by any mere mortal like herself.

A spray of light automatic fire somewhere close shook her to attention. Two sharp bangs followed.

She searched for the fastest way down and her eyes settled on a large drop to the fire escape when her walkie talkie buzzed, "Gang members. ICED them. Over."

"Good work, stay alert."

She responded, the last part as much for her sake as theirs. She gazed down at the same intersection where earlier that day she'd watched Daisy get slammed from behind by a car and collapse from the subsequent fight to capture Reyes. She'd been so cold as May had held her, checking her vitals.

The evening so far had been uneventful, only a half dozen occasions where they chose to intervene. The local police department could consider picking up the individuals in the morning. May took out her binoculars.

A small group was walking in the shadows of an alley. Young, but their expression had an anger beyond their years. She spotted them, and the tell-tale shape of firearms tucked in the back of their pants. After getting a trainee's attention for back up, hooked into the rappel they had set up and gently descended behind group.

"Hey fellas, it's late. Want us to walk you home?" She asked, reaching for her weapon.

They swivelled to face her, drawing their own. "Get lost, we've got business."

"Unfortunately, you're in ours. Haven't you heard this area's in lockdown?" May retorted.

They didn't respond, collapsing instead, instantly unconscious from the deluge of tranquilizers her trainees had leveled their way.

"Nice work agents," she said, looking at their position in the windows above her.

She readied herself to pull herself back up to the roof, for the third time that night. She was halfway up when the line went slack and both her and the rope began to fall.

"So you've got...the Devil inside you?" Coulson asked the agitated figure on the other side of his desk.

Mack was lingering by the door, ready to intervene if needed.

"From what you've seen, is that so hard to believe?" Countered Reyes.

"I see an enhanced individual. We all have our demons, yours might just be a bit more literal." Coulson offered.

"Maybe, but not all of us have a gravestone already." Robbie pointed out.

Coulson smiled, "You'd be surprised."

Robbie froze for a moment. In his mind's eye, Coulson's figure was swimming with color now that he had taken a closer look.

"You were dead!" He accused.

"So were you." Coulson pointed out.

"You were a cold body," Robbie's voice contained a hint of horror.

"Tahiti's a magical place." Coulson said, for once deliberately and not out of forced habit.

"No, no you were where I was..the darkness…" Robbie trailed off, eyes fixated on Coulson, trailing downward to the chest wound he couldn't know about.

"Can't say I remember it well." Coulson tried to say casually.

Robbie shrugged, "I didn't remember much either, until the light burned in front of me, then inside me." Robbie was standing now, "You're going to burn too, pay for the gift of life like I did."

Coulson pressed the button under his desk. He tried to sidestep the threat, appealing to Robbie's sensibility, "I think I came back for the same reason you did...like how you came back with your abilities...to make the world a better place. I'm not really sure, I was dead when the decision to bring me back came in."

"No, I came back for vengeance." Robbie glared and began to transform once more, his voice getting darker, "You didn't go through the Devil like I did, you cheated, and the Devil wants you Back."

"I think he missed his opportunity." Coulson squeezed out, throwing himself to the floor to avoid the shower of ICER rounds from Mack and two other SHIELD agents who had materialized at the door.

More backup would be there soon. Coulson had to just try not to die, again. The devil was not who he wanted to talk to right then. He wasn't against making a deal with the Devil, but not over something that had already been finished. Was the Devil jealous SHIELD had matched his apparent powers of resurrection? Fury would be pleased by that.

"If the Devil wants me, he can talk to me himself. I just want to talk to you Mr. Reyes." Coulson called out, hoping to give Robbie some pause.

The room got considerably brighter. Robbie's voice changed entirely, "Oh the Devil is here, and excited to finally talk to y-"

The brightness vanished, and there was a thump and sudden silence. Coulson took the risk of standing. Yo-Yo held an empty syringe at the doorway, Mack and the agents had stopped firing.

Robbie had been knocked unconscious, while in the final stages of transitioning into whatever his powered form was. As the SHIELD agents watched, Robbie's bones re-grew flesh, and whatever residual flames coated his body finished extinguished themselves.

"Robbie's right," Mack said gravely, "We can't contain him forever."

"Maybe not, but we aren't doing too badly considering his strength." Quipped Fitz, joining Yo-Yo at the doorway. "Jemma saved some nanites, so he didn't destroy all of them. What was in that syringe made sure the ICER rounds penetrated into his cells."

"Have you got more?" Coulson asked.

"We're in the process of making a new batch. They won't be ready by the time he wakes up though." Fitz said, refusing to meet Coulson's eyes.

"Understood. I'm no good at the fiddle, but maybe the Devil might be interested in a game of Captain America trivia for my soul." Coulson mused.


End file.
